My Talking Tom is a virtual pet game featuring the star of Talking Tom Cat and Talking Tom Cat 2. You need to keep Tom happy by feeding him, petting him, taking him to the bathroom, putting him to sleep, and playing games with him.

More interactive than ever

My Talking Tom retains the same basic functions as the Talking Tom Cat app, but takes things a bit further, giving you much more to do, and casting you more in the role of carer.

You can still do all the basic things you could in Talking Tom Cat and other Outfit 7 talking animal games, namely getting Tom to repeat what you say in a high-pitched voice and interacting with him by touching him in different ways. But the format of My Talking Tom now feels more like the virtual pet game, Pou. There's more to do with your feline friend, such as playing mini games, customizing his appearance, choosing food, and decorating Tom's house to your choosing.

One old feature that's missing from My Talking Tom is the ability to record a video of Tom, like you could in previous versions of the game. This is something I enjoyed and it's a shame it hasn't been included.

Getting new stuff in My Talking Tom requires game coins, which are earned as you go, or can be purchased. There's a leveling-up system where you can rank up by spending time with your cat and making sure his needs are met. As you level up you'll unlock new items and objects from the store.

There are mini games in My Talking Tom, such as whack-a-mole, which give you the chance to win coins, as well as satisfy Tom's entertainment needs and one where you need to guess what Tom is wearing, which is quite fun, especially for younger players.

Another interesting feature is the ability to visit other players' houses and check out how they've decorated theirs. You can also look for treasure chests, where you could turn up more coins.

How to play My Talking Tom

Just like in Pou (and tamagotchis for that matter), your pet in My Talking Tom has certain 'needs' that must be met. These are represented by round meters at the bottom of the screen that slowly deplete and must be filled up again by performing a particular action. The principle is simple to grasp and when you first play my Talking Tom the concepts are well demonstrated to you.

The four needs meters are: entertainment (refilled by petting Talking Tom or playing mini games), food (refilled by dropping food into his mouth) , bladder (refilled by taking him to the toilet) and tiredness (refilled by putting Tom to bed and turning out the light). To perform any of these actions you just need to tap the corresponding meter icon.

How's he looking?

The graphics and overall presentation in My Talking Tom haven't evolved much since Talking Tom Cat 2. The feline largely still looks the same (though you can customize him more) and his squeaky voice is identical. Also, it appears that Tom is the only character that pops up in the game (for example, there's no sign of his girlfriend Talking Anglea, or of his nuisance neighbor, Talking Ben the Dog).

The verdict

If you're a fan of Talking Tom Cat or Pou, you'll enjoy My Talking Tom, as it blends the best elements of the two. However, some may find the process of constantly giving attention to the cat a little tedious and repetitive.